Qatar Open: Li Na pushed to three sets by Magdalena Rybarikova in Doha
Top seed Li Na survived a three-set battle with Magdalena Rybarikova at the Qatar Open.
Last Updated: 12/02/14 10:21pm
The Chinese player, top seed at the Qatar Open, needed two hours and 13 minutes to defeat Slovakia's Rybarikova 6-1 5-7 6-2.
Li dominated the opener but allowed her 32nd-ranked opponent back into it with an error-strewn second set.
Rybarikova had come through a three-hour battle with Francesca Schiavone in the previous round and faded in the deciding set as Li - who enjoyed a first-round bye - cut down on the mistakes to close out the result.
Seeds crash
Caroline Wozniacki, Ana Ivanovic and Samantha Stosur were all beaten in the second round, taking the number of seeded casualties to eight already.
Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer accounted for eighth seed Wozniacki 6-4 7-5, ninth seed Ivanovic went down 4-6 6-1 6-3 to Klara Zakopalova and 12th seed Stosur lost 6-4 4-6 6-1 to world No 82 Jana Cepelova.
Third seed Petra Kvitova produced a great escape against Venus Williams. The Czech left-hander came from 4-1 down in the third set and saved a match point in the deciding tie-break before winning it 9-7.
Second seed Agnieszka Radwanska, fourth seed Sara Errani, fifth seed Jelena Jankovic and sixth seed Angelique Kerber all enjoyed straight-sets victories.